The Bad Years
by staticradar
Summary: AU: Finn Hudson is 25 and feels his life is going no where until he meets a mysterious stranger.  Finntana also eventual Quick


Concentrating was hard. His eyes narrowed and his tongue stuck out slightly as he moved the controller to try get the little man on the screen to do what he wanted. Nothing else registered, but the game and trying to make sure the enemy didn't get the better of him. So, Finn Hudson didn't notice the smirk on his roommates face as he snuck behind him and grasped his shoulders successfully startling Finn and making him drop the controller.

"Dude what the fuck was that? I nearly had them!" Finn glared at his mohawked friend who plopped down on the couch laughing.

"Dude you were gonna die in like 2 seconds anyway I saved you the humiliation now you can just blame it on me." Puck leaned back on the couch. "Besides aren't you supposed to have your big date tonight?" He said a hint of a smile still left on his face from his great triumph.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Finn rolled his eyes and threw the controller down on the table.

"I thought this one was 'the one'"

"Yeah, I thought so too, but…"

"You finally realized how annoying and loud she is all the time?"

"She's not loud she's just…" He looked up searching for the right word. "Animated."

"South Park is animated, she's a fucking nuisance."

"Hey, she's still my girlfriend."

"And, again, you aren't looking forward to your date tonight. The big 1 year anniversary. She's probably expecting a ring or some shit. Girls are weird like that."

Finn scrunched up his nose. "I'm too young to get married, 25 is still too young right?"

"Damn straight it is, fuck 60 is too young. If I ever get the urge to pop the question just put me out of my misery." He snatched the controller and started the game up again successfully maneuvering his man.

"You really think of marriage as a death sentence?"

"Fuck yeah, I mean being with one girl the rest of your life stifling you and then she'll want kids and that's just way too much to fucking handle."

"Kids?" He gulped.

"Yeah, screaming crying pooping and puking babies."

"Puke? I can't handle puke. That drunk girl you brought home last week puked all over the bathroom and I thought I was going to die. I can't clean up puke, so I guess that means babies are out of the question."

"Mhmm and drunk girls," Puck smirked at his best friend pleased with his wit.

"I just don't know what to do man, I love Rachel. I just don't know if I want to limit myself to just her."

"Then it's simple. Don't!"

"It's not that simple, trust me with Rachel…nothing is simple." Finn sighed and got up off the couch. "I'm gonna go get ready, wish me luck."

"Yeah man, you're gonna need it." Puck waved his hand not looking up from his game, cheering when he beat the round. Finn rolled his eyes and went upstairs stripping off his shirt as he went into the bathroom and thinking "there has to be more than this."

He sat in the restaurant hot and uncomfortable in the suit that Rachel insisted he wear even though he felt really overdressed. He smiled his lopsided grin at her across the table trying to act like this wasn't the most awkward date he'd ever been on.

"...and then he had the nerve to say I OVER sang the song, can you believe that Finn? I think he needs his hearing checked if you ask me. I sang it flawlessly and do not deserve to be in the chorus of this production when the lead can barely stay on pitch." Finn nodded dutifully pretending to be hanging on every word when really her voice faded in and out for him. It's not that he didn't care about the latest community theater production of whatever it was she was in this time, but there was only so much a boy could take.

"Yeah, Rach that sucks," he said as he gave her a sympathetic look and took a sip of his water. He wished the food would hurry up, he really wanted to get out of this suit.

Rachel was still talking about the show she was in and Finn sat bored until the food arrived. You'd think having food in front of her would curtail the prattling on, but it was just as much only momentary silence as she chewed. Finn's head started to pound and he wished he had ordered beer or wine, but Rachel hated when he drank so he didn't do so in front of her. When she had finished eating she wiped her mouth daintily and folded her hands on her lap looking at him expectantly. It took him a minute sitting there in utter confusion trying to understand her impatient glare until it struck him that she was waiting for her present. Lucky for him he had remembered it. After the fiasco of their 6 month anniversary he wasn't going to make the same mistake again. Apparently you were supposed to have presents for predetermined months of the relationship and he hadn't been aware. He was prepared this time. He pulled out a small box and Rachel's eyes widened. He wasn't sure why but it looked like she was going to tear up. He shrugged and figured it was just Rachel being Rachel.

"Oh, Finn!" She exclaimed and grabbed at the box opening it and her face fell. Finn wasn't sure why the gold star earrings were expensive and thoughtful since she loved stars. Rachel's face recovered and she put on a forced smile and Finn was further confused.

"Don't you like them? I thought you would..."

"No...no they are beautiful...perfect." She closed the box and got up giving him a soft peck on the lips before returning to her seat. "I'm just a little tired, long day and all and early call tomorrow for rehearsal." She said brightening up sounding more like Rachel and Finn nodded and sighed. Didn't look like anniversary sex was in the cards for him tonight, and seriously what was the point of having a stupid anniversary and getting the girl expensive presents if he wasn't going to get sex out of the deal? Kinda seemed like a gip.

Smoking was a dirty habit, but one he had picked up in college to calm his nerves when studying. Besides when you're young it looks cool, not so much when you're a grown up and looking back on it maybe it wasn't all that cool when you're younger either. It was just hard to quit and right now he had a lot on his mind which made the cravings all that much more. He lit up his second one and leaned against the wall outside the bar trying to decide if he should go in or not. Did he really need to get wasted? He sighed and figured it was better than being sober right now. He was about to put out his cigarette and go inside when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, stud, can I bum one?"

He turned around and was met with the most intense big brown eyes he'd ever seen. He nodded dumbly and handed one to her as she laughed at his expression.

"Thanks, stranger."

"Finn..." He squeaked out and then cleared his throat and tried again. "My name is Finn."

She nodded looking him over with an appreciative nod. "See you around, Finn." She smirked and went inside the bar not even looking back. He gulped watching her go her slinky black dress hugging every curve in the exact right places. His mind was definitely made up as he picked his jaw up off the ground and went into the bar in hopes for another glimpse at _her._


End file.
